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H37 



TRUTHS LEARNED 

FROM 

EXPERIENCE. 



TRUTHS LEARNED 

FROM 

EXPERIENCE. 



BY 

BELLE HARLAN 



NEW ORLEANS: 



PRINTED BY 

J. G. HAUSER 



1907. 



ftj *&■ 



I -fyflj 'J 

I AUG 7 W 

Copyright B 

/S3&3* 

COPY 8 



These soul-comforting thoughts, which I have 
gleaned here and there, I dedicate to my chil- 
dren, with the ardent prayer that the seed sown 
in their loving little hearts in childhood will 
eventually take root and bear fruit.— Mother. 



Seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, 
— Isa. lviii., 2. 

Daily dealings with Jesus will ghrc us daily 
triumphs. 




I. 



If every morning, in a simple prayer, we 
opened our hearts to God, as we open our win- 
dows to the sun and air, God would fill them 
with that calm, sweet joy which elevates the 
soul, prevents it feeling the weight of troubles, 
and makes it overflow with benevolence. 



Truths Learned From Experience. 

I want the peace and the love of God, which 
passeth all understanding, to rule in my heart. 

my God. teach me to pray! Give me grace 
to love prayer! 

Nothing so elevates the soul as prayer. 

Nothing so smooths and sweetens life as 
prayer. 

Prayer is the breath of the soul. 

Prayer is the elevation of our thoughts to 
God. 

Oh. how can those live peacefully who never 
pray? 

If you knew how to pray, and loved prayer, 
how good, useful, fruitful and meritorious would 
be your life. 

"When you meet with a trial, look not to men, 
but to Jesus. Pray for patience to bear it, and 
look up for a blessing upon it. 

The longer you live, the better you will under- 



Truths Learned From Experience. 9 

stand that true happiness is only to be found 
in a life devoted to God, and given up entirely 
to His guidance. 

The business of life is to glorify God, and 
to work out our own salvation; all other con- 
cerns are subordinate to these. 

The road to heaven is not success, but labor 
and devotion. 

"I shall pass through this world but once. 
Any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or 
any kindness that I can show to any human be- 
ing, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or 
neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.' ' 

I wonder why it is that we are not all kinder 
than we are. How much the world needs it ! How 
easily it is done ! How instantaneously it acts ! 
How T infallibly it is remembered! How super- 
abundantly it pays itself back!— Henry Drum- 
mond. 



10 Truths Learned From Experience. 

Do all the good you can, 
To all the people you can, 
In all the ways you can, 
As long as ever you can. 

Hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both 
sure and steadfast.— Heb. vi., 19. 

The infallible recipe for happiness is to do 
good, and the infallible recipe for doing good is 
to abide in Christ. 

The poorest Christian who lives upon Christ 
and walks in daily fellowship with God is hap- 
pier than the richest worldling. Indeed, such 
only are happy. 

Show me that, apart from Thee, pleasures of 
the senses leave behind only remorse, disgust, 
weariness and satiety. Pleasures of the heart 
cause anxiety, bitterness, rendings and fears; 
pleasures of the mind produce a void, vanity, 
jealousy, coldness and humiliations! Teach me 
that all must pass away, that nothing is true, 



Truths Learned From Experience. 11 

nothing is good, nothing is eternal, but Thou, 
Thou only, my God ! 

Wlien the Holy Spirit dwells within us, 
everything seems bright. 

When self is on the cross, and Jesus is on the 
throne, then, and then only, we have perfect 
peace. 

He that taketh not his cross and followeth 
after Me is not worthy of Me.— Matt, x., 38. 

Remember, there must be daily supplies for 
the soul, as well as daily bread for the body. 
Faith will not grow except it be fed. 

my God, do give me the bread which en- 
dureth unto everlasting life, and give me an 
appetite for the heavenly food. 

Behind us, angels and demons, like gleaners, 
gather together in sheaves all that belongs to 
them. Every night their store is increased. They 
preserve it, and at the last day will present it 



12 Truths Learned From Experience, 

to their Master. Is there not a thought in this 
that should make us reflect? 

Saint Cyprin— the Bishop of Carthage, A. D. 
246— has said on the subject of baptism that 
"one cannot have God for his Father unless he 
have the Church for his mother." 

Christ never said much in mere words about 
the Christian graces. He lived them ; He was 
them. Yet we do not merely copy Him. We learn 
His art by living with Him, like the old ap- 
prentices with their masters. 

Lord, grant that I may live every day in Thy 
sight, as I desire to appear the last day in Thy 
presence. 

The soul that endures feels the weight of its- 
trouble. The soul that yields scarcely per- 
ceives it. 

For a wounded heart no balm is so efficacious 
as forbearance. 



Truths Learned From Experience. 13 

"0 Lord, set a watch before my mouth, keep 
the door of my lips."— Psalm cxli., 3. 

Lord, show me Thy way in all things, even 
in the least. Make me such a faithful steward, 
as not to go one inch from Thy will ; but, on all 
occasions, to act and suffer according to Thy 
good pleasure, to follow Thee in implicit 
obedience, seeking only to know Thy will, and 
striving only to do it. 

My soul, take thy place at the feet of Jesus, 
and learn of Him. He will be thy teacher. He 
will instruct thee with discretion. If He teach 
thee, His teaching will sanctify thee, mould thee 
into the will of God, and make thee happy. 

No teacher like Jesus, nor is there any teach- 
ing like His ! 

God moves in a mysterious way, 

His wonders to perform ; 
He plants His footsteps in the sea, 

And rides upon the storm. 



14 Truths Learned From Experience. 

Cowper is the author of this beautiful mysti- 
cal hymn. 

Lord, fill my heart with holy love. Help me 
to love my enemies, and to pray for those who 
despiteful ly use me. Never let malice, envy, or 
a desire for revenge, dwell in my heart. If 
such feelings are ever awakened, mercifully put 
forth Thy power, and crush them in the bud. 
to be filled with love! 

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but 
rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, 
Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord. — 
Romans, xii., 19. 

Tender and kind be all our thoughts ; 

Through all our lives let mercy run ; 
So God forgives our numerous faults 

For the dear sake of Christ, His Son. 

The love of God compensates for the indiffer- 
ence of our fellow creatures. 



Truths Learned From Experience. 15 



On no account neglect the duty you owe to 
friendship, relatives, society, but remember each 
day to reserve some portion of it for yourself 
and God only. Perhaps, at the Last Day, all 
that will remam wo^th recording of a life full of 
activity and zeal will be those little deeds that 
were done solely beneath the eye of God. 

Lord, give me resignation, and produce in 
me entire acquiescence in Thy wise, holy, and 
gracious will. Thou hast given me the desire to 
be like Jesus, now gratify that desire, and grant 
that as He is, so I may be in the world. 

Let Thy will be mine, and let my will ever 
follow Thine, and agree perfectly with it. 

Grant to me, above all things that I can de- 
sire, to desire to rest in Thee, and in Thee to 
have my heart at peace. Thou art the true peace 
of the heart ; Thou art its only rest ; out of Thee 
all things are full of trouble and unrest. 



16 Truths Learned From Experience. 

Father of Jesus, give me faith, more faith, 
that I may be strong in faith. Unbelief receives 
nothing, but faith opens all the treasures of God, 
i«nd never goes away empty. 

True obedience strives to please God, to resem- 
ble Him, to render itself acceptable to Him, and 
ardently desires the enjoyment of Him. 

Holy Spirit, shed abroad the love of God in 
my heart, fulfill in me the work of faith with 
power, so shall I keep Thy precepts, and be as- 
sured of my adoption. 

Verily, the life of a Christian is a cross; yet 
it is also a guide to paradise. The cross shall be 
my subject in health, my solace in sickness, and 
m y j°y i n death. 

The crucifix is the sign of peace and salvation. 

Psalm xv. ought to be read daily. 

Abide always under the shadow of the Al- 
mighty.— Psalm xci., 1. 




II. 

' ' Our Father Who art in Heaven. ' ' Jesus ! 
it is Thou who biddest me say, Father! My 
Father! oh how that name rejoices my heart! 
My Father! I can no longer feel alone, and 
whatever may happen to me this day I feel I 
am protected, comforted, beloved. 

"Hallowed be Thy Name/' To hallow Thy 
name, Lord ! is to pronounce it with reverence 
and awe. To-day I will pray more fervently to 
realize Thy presence, Thy goodness, Thy love, 
and my heart shall be a sanctuary, into which 
nothing shall penetrate, that could be displeasing 
unto Thee. 



18 Truths Learned From Experience. 

"Thy Kingdom Come." Jesus, Thy king- 
dom is within my heart, reign there in all Thy 
sovereignty and power, reign there absolutely! 
Thy commands I will promise to obey— more 
than that, I will regard all in authority over me, 
as Thine ambassadors, speaking to me in Thy 
name. 

"Thy Will Be Done on Earth, as It Is in 
Heaven. ' ' Yes ! Yes ! Let Thy sweet and holy 
Will be done ! Even, Lord, if to glorify Thee, 
I must be humiliated, suffering, useless and for- 
saken, still, Lord, stay not Thine hand, I am 
wholly Thine. 

"Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread." Grant 
me the blessing of intelligence, that I may read, 
or hear one of those golden counsels, that elevate 
the soul and lend wings to the thought. Grant 
me the loving heart, my Father! that I may 
feel for a moment how I love Thee, and Thy 



Truths Learned From Experience. 19 

love towards me ; let me sacrifice myself for the 
welfare of another. Give me the Bread of Life, 
the Holy Eucharist! I have just received it, 
Lord ! Grant me again ere long that great bless- 
ing. And then, give all these blessings to those 
I love and who love me ! 

"Forgive Us Our Trespasses, as We For- 
give Those Who Trespass Against Us." God, 
if Thou forgivest me, as I forgive others, 
what mercy for me ! Thou seest I bear no 
malice, that I forget all injuries. I will be very 
merciful, so that Thou mayst have mercy upon 
me. 

"Lead Us Not Into Temptation, but Deliver 
Us From Evil." Now, as I leave Thine altar, 
I go to encounter temptation. Saviour ! help 
me, keep me, and warn me of my danger! Sin! 
this is the evil from which I beseech Thee to 
deliver me; other troubles that may happen, I 



20 Truths Learned From Experience. 

accept ; they are sent to try me and to purify, and 
come from Thee ; but sin, I have no pleasure 
in it. I go from Thy presence— but, Jesus ! Thou 
art with me. In work, in prayer, in suffering, 
let all be done in Thee! 

Christ's life outwardly was one of the most 
troubled lives that was ever lived. But the inner 
life was a sea of glass. The great calm was 
always there. 

"Watch my way of doing things/' He says. 
"Follow me. Take life as I take it. Be meek 
and lowly and you will find rest." 

The more a man dies to this world, the more 
he is enlightened, the more he lives to Christ, 
and becomes one with Him. The dust is our 
proper place, and the lower we lie, the happier 
and holier we shall be. "Walk humbly with 
thy God." 



Truths Learned From Experience. 21 

"Come unto me," Christ says, "and I will give 
yon rest. ' ' 

The kingdom of God is within you. — St. Luke, 
xvii., 21. 

Oh ! to be emptied of self, and filled with 
Christ. 

0, my soul! 0, my friends! Let us not be 
content to live without a constant revelation of 
Christ, This makes the conscience peaceful, the 
heart heavenly, and the soul happy. This sub- 
dues lust, exalts the affections, makes the whole 
man happy in God, and creates heaven in the 
soul. If Christ be in the heart, all will be right 
and well in the life. If you believe in the 
word, this blessed promise is for you: "I will 
manifest myself unto him."— John, xiv., 21. 

Great God ! Thy Scriptures will impart, 

The Saviour to my list'ning ear, 
Yet oh, reveal Him in my heart, 

And let me feel His presence there. 



22 Truths Learned From Experience. 

Holy Spirit, so reveal Christ to me, as will fix 
my heart, soul, affections, and all upon Him, 
this day, and for evermore ! 

Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth 
for you.— 1 Peter, v, 7 verse. 

"When it comes to doing a thing in this world, 
I do not ask myself whether I like it or not, but 
what is the best way to get it done. I have spent 
fifty years doing things I was not fond of, and I 
do not think I am any the less happy for having 
done them well. 

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it 
with thy might— Eccl. ix., 10. 

Make no plans, and do nothing without in- 
voking the blessing of God. For that ye ought 
to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, 
or that— James, iv., 15. 

Lord, let me daily receive a word from Thee, 
to nourish and strengthen my soul, so as to be 
renewed daily by it more and more. 



Truths Learned From Experience. 23 

Let all who have received a measure of grace 
be thankful, yet not rest in it ; but press for- 
ward, fighting the good fight of faith,, till they 
lay hold on eternal life. 

Dread remorse when you are tempted to err, 
for it is the poison of life. Repentance is said to 
be its cure, but I doubt it. Reformation may be. 

Though thy sins be as scarlet, yea, though they 
be as red as crimson, be not thou cast down, 
my soul, and be not disquieted within me. 

Christ is my strength, my refuge, my de- 
fender. 

We know that all things work together for 
good to them that love God.— Rom., viii., 28. 

The love of Christ constraineth me. With 
Christ comes light, comes love, comes peace. 

Be thou faithful unto death, and I w T ill give 
thee a crown of life. 

Do those things that are pleasing in His 
sight. —1 John, iii., 22. 



Truths Learned From Experience. 



All the giants in the history of the church 
have been large and hungry feeders on the Bible. 
We must not let our Bibles be unread. Nor must 
our Bibles be lightly read and unthoughtfully 
read, or read as a task, as if to get a chapter or 
a few verses done each day has a sort of charm 
in it. Teach me, I beseech Thee, my God, how 
to read my Bible and how to say my prayers. 



Truths Learned From Experience. 25 

Our thoughts may be prayers. There are 
moments when wl atever the attitude of the body 
may be, the soul is on its knees.— Victor Hugo. 

All my hope and trust is in God alone. Thou 
art all my desire, and therefore I mast needs 
sigh and call and earnestly pray unto Thee. 
Thou art my comforter, and in all things most 
faithful unto me. 

The season must come when questions such as 
the following force themselves upon the soul with 
irresistible power: "What am I, and whither do 
I tend? For what purpose am I living? What 
is my trust for the present, and what my only 
true hope for the future ? Have I any sure foun- 
dation of faith? Know I, from experience, aught 
of that life over w r hich death hath no power? 
What is the meaning of salvation through 
Christ, and of the kingdom of heaven being 
w T ithin?" Be sure there is that within you 



26 Truths Learned From Experience. 

which will make you restless, and which must 
make you restless, until you find rest in God. 
Through a personal acceptance of the Re- 
deemer alone, will you find peace. 

These thoughts and questionings are no mere 
fancies, no vain delusions of the soul, but the 
voice of the spirit pleading with you, striving 
with you, to turn you from the fading glitter of 
earthly trifles and passing pursuits, and to re- 
pose your weary, restless heart on the bosom of 
Infinite Pity and Love. God would have you be 
wholly His, and to find your true peace only 
through the mediation and love of Christ. 

Could you once feel that your will was God's 
will, your purposes and desires one with His, 
that you were His child, and that everything 
which befalls you on your pilgrimage is ordered 
by His perfect wisdom and love, you would no 
longer restlessly fret against your surroundings : 



Truths Learned From Experience. 27 

for there would be in the soul itself the repose 
and trust of the little child in its father 's home, 
and would not such a trust be happiness? 

You have spoken in general terms of Christ 
as the Saviour of the world; but you have not 
felt your personal indebtedness to Him, your 
personal need of Him, as the only Reconciler of 
the soul to God. You have believed in God- 
that is, you have said to yourself that you be- 
lieved in Him, as an all-wise and holy Creator; 
but you have not lived as in the presence of a 
Father— a God of holiness not to be trifled with, 
a God of justice not to be gainsaid, a God of 
love, desiring nothing so much as that every 
child of His should be righteous and safe. 

Read the Sermon on the Mount, and apply its 
divine precepts, one by one, to your own feelings, 
words, habits and disposition, so that you may 
see how far your inward life accords with its 



28 Truths Learned Fro:>i Experience. 

high standard, as manifested in the life of the 
Reedemer. 

11 Blessed are the pure in heart/ ' the humble, 
the meek, the forgiving, the forbearing; 
"blessed are they who hunger and thirst after 
righteousness," not with a faint longing, an 
indefinite desire, a vague aspiration, but Yvdth 
an earnest, hearty, whole-souled seeking after 
purity and holiness. 

"Judge not, that ye be not judged; forgive, as 
ye would be forgiven; as ye would that men 
should do to you, do ye even so to them," in 
kindness, gentleness, sympathy, forbearance, 
charity. 



III. 

Am I alive? Being once converted, does not 
follow that you will remain converted. No re- 
newed heart will "keep sweet" without a great 
deal of salting with divine grace. No converted 
man will stay converted unless he takes care of 
himself, and the Master takes care of him. 

"What is conversion? It is the turning of the 
heart to God; and unless that heart holds fast 
on God, and God holds fast to him, he will soon 
fall into vain confidence, apathy, pride, self-in- 
dulgence, or any sin that "doth so easily beset" 
him. 

How long do you think that Paul would have 
been Paul if the power of God had not kept him 



30 Truths Learned From Experience. 

through faith? "Not I," exclaimed the modest 
old hero; "not I, but Christ that liveth in me." 
"I live by faith on the Son of God." Again he 
exclaims, "So fight I, not as one that striketh 
out into the air, but I keep my body under." 
I bruise my body. Paul had such a terrible 
dread lest his evil propensities should get the 
better of him, that he constantly beats down 
with steady and sturdy blows the unruly appe- 
tites and passions. 

The moment a Christian begins to feel, "What 
do I care? Let others be afraid, not I;" the 
moment a Christian feels so, he is as near to a 
disgraceful fall as boastful Peter was in Pilate's 
hall. 

Prayer is just as vital to my spiritual life as 
water is to the "monthly rose." 

Prayer is the conduit-pipe between my soul 
and heaven. It is the outlet upwards for grati- 



Truths Learned From Experience. 31 

tude, and yearning desires for blessings; it is 
the inlet through which the supplies of grace 
pour downward into the heart. When the chan- 
nel is allowed to freeze up, I am in the same 
condition with the housekeeper who inquires, "I 
wonder why the water does not run to-day V 9 
The plumber is sent for, and he soon explains 
the difficulty. "Your pipes are frozen up, the 
connection with the reservoir is stopped." 
Alas for the Christian who has broken his con- 
nection with Christ ! 

Prayer may be also likened to a telegraph with 
heaven. Our messages go up with the lightning 
speed of thought. Sometimes the blessing sought 
is ours at once. Sometimes the answer is de- 
layed. Then we can only do our duty and wait. 
God knows what answer to send. I must take 
what my Father chooses to give. "Thy will be 
done." 



32 Truths Learned From Experience. 

"Prayer is appointed to convey 
The blessings God designs to give: 

Long as they live should Christians pray, 
For only while they pray they live." 

The Master always coupled prayer with watch- 
fulness. "I say unto you all, watch!" Never 
yet have I seen the Christian whose heart would 
not "bear watching." 

Watch the stealthy approaches of the tempter. 
Watch for old habits of sin that will steal back 
again though they have been driven off a hun- 
dred times "from the premises." Watch over 
your soul's nurseries in which the thoughts are 
cradled Watch over an unruly tongue. Watch 
for opportunities to do good. 

In these days we hear much about the "higher 
life." The best prescription for attaining this 
"higher life" is to use our knees for prayer, our 
eyes for watchfulness, our purses for liberal giv- 



Truths Learned From Experience. 33 

ing, our tongues for confessing Jesus, and both 
our hands in hard work to do Christ's will. 

Idle words are hurtful words, they grieve the 
Holy Spirit, destroy the sacred and happy feel- 
ings which have been obtained by prayer, and 
cause nothing but levity and distraction of mind. 

Lord, teach me Thy wisdom, * ' and keep my 
mouth as it were with a bridle," and do weigh 
all my words like gold. 

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep 
the door of my lips.— Pslam cxli., 3. 

Have mercy on those who weep, those who 
pray, those who know not how to pray ! 

Does the prayer of faith really move God? 

God tells us that He loves to be asked, and is 
the rewarder of them who diligently seek Him. 

He tells us that the fervent effectual prayer 
of the righteous availeth much. He bids us ask, 
and we shall receive. 



34 Truths Learned From Experience. 

I no more believe that God leaves a right 
prayer, offered in the right spirit, to pass un- 
noticed, than I believe that he will let the whole 
summer pass over without a drop of rain or 
dew. 

Answered prayers have made the pulpits of 
Payson, Burns and Spurgeon powerful. "I can- 
not get on without three hours a day of prayer/' 
said Martin Luther. Are you wiser than Luther ? 

Christ in his Sermon on the Mount has said, 
"He that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh 
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be 
opened."— St. Matthew, vii., 8. 

Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know 
not when the time is.— St. Mark, xiii., 33. 

Enow therefore that God exacteth of thee 
less than thine iniquity deserveth.— - Job, xi., 6. 

Oh my God, do give me strength from the 
Holy Spirit to pray acceptably and effectively. 



Truths Learned From Experience. 35 

Without divine strength to pray with, our 
prayers will wither just like flowers without 
water. 

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose 
mind is stayed on Thee.— Isa., xxvi., 3. 

Where does the dividing line run between true 
religion and the world? 

We answer that it runs just where God's 
Word puts it, and a conscience which is en- 
ligtened by the Word and by prayer does not 
commonly fail to discover it. Where God is 
honored is the right side; where God is dis- 
honored, or even ignored, is the wrong side. 
Where Christ would be likely to go if he were 
on earth, is the right side ; but where a Christian 
would be ashamed to have his Master find him, 
there he ought never to find himself. Wherever 
a Christian can go, and conscientiously ask God 's 
blessing on what he is doing, there let that Chris- 



36 Truths Learned From Experience. 

tian go. He is not likely to wander over the line 
while walking by this rule. 

Have faith in God.— M&rk, xi., 22. 

"I n^ver question Divine authority; I pity 
those that do!" 

I believe in it, I possess it. How can it be 
taken from me? As well make a bird without 
wings, a tree without sap, an ocean without 
depth, as expect to find a man without an im- 
mortal soul! 

"Man and man alone is fitted to grasp the 
prize of immortality .' ' 

"I perceive this Divine authority in the mys- 
teries of the universe about me — the glory of 
the heavens, the wonders of the sea, and in the 
very law that compels me to exist. ' ' 

God, who is eternal, and incomprehensible, 
and of infinite power, doeth all things great and 



Truths Learned From Experience. 37 

unsearchable in heaven and on earth, and there 
is no tracing out of his marvelous works. 

Christ is the author of faith. If we have 
Christ, we have all things; but if we have not 
Christ, one thing, and that the grand thing, is 
lacking. It matters little what I have, if I have 
not Christ; and if I have Christ, it is com- 
paratively unimportant what I may be without. 
Having Christ, I have pardon, righteousness, 
peace, holiness, the promises, and heaven at the 
end of my course. my soul, look well to this 
point, that Christ is in thy heart ! 

I've found a Friend, oh such a Friend! 

So kind, so true, and tender, 
So wise a Counsellor and Guide, 

So mighty a Defender! 
From Him, who loves me now so well, 

What power my soul can sever? 
Shall life or death, or earth or hell ? 

No: I am His forever. 



3S Truths Learned From Experience. 

"I axii the Door and the Way.' '— -John, x., 9; 
xiv., 6. 

A statesman retiring from public life occu- 
pied himself in his latter days with serious 
thoughts. The friends who came to visit him, 
reproached him with being melancholy. "No," 
he replied, ' ' I am only serious. All around me is 
serious, and I feel the need that heart and mind 
should be in unison with my surroundings." 
< t p or> 9 9 j ie a( j(} e( ^ w ^j 1 suc ] 1 solemnity as to im- 
press all present, "God is serious as He watches 
us. Jesus is serious when he intercedes for us. 
The Holy Spirit is serious when He guides us. 
Satan is serious when he temps us. The wicked 
in hell are serious now because they neglected to 
be so when on earth ; all is serious in that world 
whither we are wending." Oh, my friends, be- 
lieve me, it is all true ; let us at least be serious 
in our thoughts and in our actions. 




-<%a$>-\ 



IV. 

"Faith is the milk, and assurance is the 
cream that rises on it. If you have milk, you 
are pretty certain to have cream, unless the milk 
be the watery London mixture." So said Mr. 
Spurgeon in one of his racy discourses, and it 
is not often that a sanctified wit teaches as much 
sound theology. 

Without the life of faith there can be no 
genuine assurance of hope. Men never gather 
grapes from thistles. A healthy Christian ought 
to have a comfortable assurance. He has a right 
to look for it. 

Simple believers look to Christ for all, go to 
Christ with all, and depend on Christ through 



4u 1 ruths Learned Fsom Experience. 

all: thus they abide in Jesus, and Jesus abides 
in them. 

If ye abide in Me, and my words abide in you, 
ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done 
unto you.— John, xv., 7 verse. 

Eead the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. 

The reason why some truly good people do 
not enjoy a comforting assurance is that they 
nurse their doubts and starve their faith. They 
never make a strong grasp of the Divine prom- 
ises. They are chronic doubters. An increase 
of faith, a victory over influences and external 
distractions, will bring abiding peace. These 
come from prayer and godly living. These 
come from a closer union to Christ. 

There hath not failed one word of all His 
good promises. — 1 Kings, vii., 56. 

He will never suffer a believing soul to perish ; 
He has passed His word for it. He has told me 



Truths Learned From Experience. 41 

that I shall not perish, I shall not be condemned, 
but have everlasting life, if I believe. This will 
I build and depend upon, to my last moments, 
as upon an immovable rock. 

Whosoever liveth and believth in Me shall 
never die.— John, xi., 26. 

"We are made perfect through suffering." A 
sorrow well borne is full of strange and lasting 
joys. It is rare when injustice, or slights pa- 
tiently borne, do not leave the heart at the close 
of the day filled with marvelous joy and peace. 

Are you full of peace? Pray! Prayer will 
preserve it to you. 

Are you tempted ? Pray. Prayer will sustain 
you. 

Have you fallen? Pray! Prayer will raise 
you. 

Are you discouraged ? Pray ! Prayer will re- 
assure and comfort you. 



42 Truths Learned From Experience. 

A well spent day is a source of pleasure. To 
be constantly employed, and never asking, What 
shall I do? is the secret of much goodness and 
happiness. 

Christ is my life, 

God is my Father, 

The Holy Spirit is my guide, 

And heaven is my everlasting home. 

The shadow of death is often cast over some 
of the Lord's people, and they dread the thought 
of dying; but such have generally found that the 
fear of death was worse than the reality, and 
that they have felt a thousand deaths in fearing 
one. Believer, Jesus will be with thee when 
dying, and His grace will be sufficient for thee. 
Live for Jesus, and walk closely with Jesus 
now, and leave death and all the future until it 
comes. Dying grace is for dying moments. 

Though I walk through the valley of the 



Truths Learned From Experience. 43 

shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou 
art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they com- 
fort me.— Psalm, xxiii., 4. 

"Other refuge have I none; 

Hangs my helpless soul on Thee ! 
Leave, ah, leave me not alone ; 

Still support and comfort me; 
All my trust on Thee is stayed, 

All my help from Thee I bring ; 
Cover my defenseless head, 

With the shadow of Thy wing ! ' ' 

Souls ! Souls ! I yearn for souls ! This is the 
cry of the Savious ; and for their sakes He died 
upon the cross, and remains until eternity their 
Intercessor. 

Souls ! Souls ! I must win souls ! This is the 
cry of Satan, and to obtain them he scatters gold 
to tempt them, multiplies their pleasures and 
vanities, and gives the praise that only in- 
fatuates. 



44 Truths Learned From Experience. 

Souls! Souls! we long for souls! Let this be 
our aim, dear readers, and for the sake of even 
one soul, let not fatigue, expense, or the criti- 
cism of the world deter us. Only have patience, 
to wait; perserverance, not to grow weary. 

It is the want of patience that often makes us 
exacting towards those we desire to help. More 
haste, less speed, is an old saying. The more we 
are exacting the less likely are we to succeed. 

To make anyone believe himself good, is to 
help him in spite of self, to become so. 

Nothing is so sad as the cry, U I am useless !" 
Happily, none need ever be so. A kind word, 
a gentle act, a modest demeanor, a loving smile, 
are as so many seeds that we can scatter every 
moment of our lives, and which will always 
spring up and bear fruit. 

God notes each action, and of them all here- 
after I must give an account. God will see that 



Truths Learned From Experience. 45 

I love him, if I strive to fulfill every duty, in 
spite of weariness, trouble and unhappiness. 

For a wounded heart, no balm is so efficacious 
as forbearance. To forbear, is to forget every 
night the little vexations of the past day. For- 
bearance even somtimec leads us to detect in our- 
selves a little want of good nature, condescen- 
sion, and charity. To forbear, is not only freely 
to forgive, but to meet half way, with extended 
hand, those who timidly ask for pardon. 

"No cross, no crown." Let us not, then, be 
afraid of the cross ; for when we bear it, it bears 
us ; and when we refuse to take it up, we refuse 
the staff of every Christian pilgrim, and the 
weapon of every Christian soldier. A cross helps 
us onwards, in spite of our apathy and re- 
sistance. If I have no cross to bear to-day, I 
shall not advance heavenwards. 



46 Truths Learned From Experience. 

Whosoever does not bear his cross, and come 
after Me, cannot be my disciple.— Luke, xiv., 27. 

Upon that Cross of Jesus, 

Mine eye at times can see, 
The very dying form of One, 

"Who suffered there for me. 
And from my smitten heart with tears, 

Two wonders I confess: 
The wonders of His glorious Love, 

And my own worthlessness. 

There is one God, and one mediator between 
God and men— the man Christ Jesus.— I Tim- 
othy, ii. ? 5. 

I want to live upon Christ. I want to walk 
with God as Enoch did. A holy intimacy and 
communion with God is obtained and kept by 
constant meditation, prayer and praise, and by 
our hearkening to the voice of His word and 
spirit. My soul, fix thy eye and thy heart on 
Je.sus every day, and all the day, so wilt thou 
grow in grace and become like Jesus. I want 



Truths Learned From Experience. 47 

Christ revealed to- me daily. My God, make me 
know Thy will. 

God 's strength is for the weak and feeble, and 
the weaker we feel, the clearer is our title to it 
and the stronger our claim upon it. Go to God 
for all thou needest, flee to God from all thou 
f earest, and carry to God all thy cares, sorrows, 
griefs and woes. 

With my whole heart I seek Thy face ; 

let me never stray 
From Thy commands, God of grace, 

Nor tread the sinner's way. 

Sunday is God's day of truce for all. That 
day, laying aside all revenge and ill-feeling, we 
must be filled with forbearance, indulgence and 
amiability. Let us leave no time for coldness and 
indifference to grow upon us. It only engenders 
hatred, and that once established in the heart, 
oh, how hard is it to cast out again! It is like 



48 Truths Learned From Experience. 

a hideous cancer, whose ravages no remedies 
can stay. It is as the venomous plant that the 
gardener can never entirely eradicate. Only by 
a miracle can hatred be destroyed. At once, 
then, let us place a barrier in our hearts 
against the approach of coolness or indifference. 
Oh, how good for us to feel obliged to be recon- 
ciled, and each Sunday renews the obligation. 
We ought to say each Saturday night : To-night 
we forgive, to-night we forget, and to-morrow 
begin life afresh in love, one towards another. 

"Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of 
heart." 

This is a simple rule of life for me, requiring 
no more than I am able ; but I feel it unites me 
to God, makes me more devout, more faithful to 
duty, more ready for death. Since I have made 
it my rule, it has been to me a source of con- 
solation, enlightenment and strength, and yet 



Truths Learned From Experience. 49 

God alone knows how full of pain my life has 
been! Dear friends, who, like myself, long to 
become holy, I commend this sentence to you, 
in all its simplicity. Listen, for it comes from 
the loving heart of Jesus, it fell from His gentle 
lips: 

" Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of 
heart." 

Lord, preserve me from anger, wrath, clamor 
and all that is opposed to the mind and temper 
of Thy beloved Son. 

"Beneath God's eye." There is something in 
this thought like a sheltering rock, a refreshing 
dew, a gleam of light. As you read these words, 
are you not conscious of an inward feeling of 
peace and quietness? Ah! how sweet to have 
God as our only witness. It is the highest de- 



50 Truths Learned Prom Experience. 

gree of holiness; the most exquisite happiness; 
the assurance of an entry into heaven hereafter. 
my soul, be as the desert flower that grows, 
blooms and flourishes unseen in obedience to 
God's will, and cares not whether the passing 
bird perceives it or the wind scatters the petals, 
scarcely formed. 

Take my will and make it Thine, 
It shall be no longer mine; 
Take my heart, it is Thine own, 
It shall be Thy royal throne. 

The refrain of the heart, which, perhaps, 
never passes the lips, but which echoes in heaven, 
is this sentence: "I love, and I am beloved." 






V. 

God so loved the world that He gave His only 
begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life.— 
John, iii., 16. 

that these truly precious words were ever 
warmly impressed on our hearts ; that they were 
our last thoughts at night and the first at our 
waking in the morning. What more blessed and 
delightful meditations can I daily dwell upon 
than to think thus: God has loved me, even me, 
when I was His enemy; and so loved me that 
He gave me His only Son ! Bless me with faith 
in Christ; then Christ is mine, and all things 
are mine. 



52 Truths Learned From Experience. 

Pray that thou mayest walk by faith, and not 
by sight; as seeing continually Him who to the 
natural eye is invisible. Faith will deepen and 
regulate repentance; and where there is no re- 
pentance there is no real religion. 

True religion always includes tenderness of 
conscience, sorrow for sin, faith in Jesus, and a 
holy life. Have you these? Search and look, for 
it is for eternity. My soul, make sure work for 
eternity ! 

More of Thy presence, Lord, impart! 

More of Thine image let me bear-, 
Erect Thy throne within my heart, 

And reign without a rival there. 

Teach me, blessed Jesus, to walk in Thy 
strength, to live in Thy faith, to gaze much upon 
Thee, to cleave firmly unto Thee, and to abide 
ever in Thee. 

Lord, be Thou my teacher. Give me a docile 
disposition, a retentive memory, and a good and 



Truths Learned From Experience. 53 

honest heart, that so I may receive, retain and 
make use of Thy instructions. 

Whoever desires to know the will of the Lord, 
and prays earnestly for instruction, shall cer- 
tainly know His will. 

"Be not wise in your own conceit. "—Romans, 
xii., 16. 

Let your prayers come from your heart, and 
not your lips. Say your prayers slowly and 
carefully articulating each word, and try to feel 
the truth of what you are saying. 

Search me, God, and know my heart, try 
me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be 
any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way 
everlasting. — Psalm cxxxix., 23, 24. 

It is not necessary for us to know when or by 
what means the Lord searches our hearts; but 
everyone that is really in a state of grace, and 
walking in the fear of the Lord, will pray to 



54 Truths Learned From Experience. 

Him to search the heart and to deliver him 
from every wicked way. 

"The Lord searcheth all hearts."— I Chron. 
xxviii., 9. 

Lord, search my soul, try ev'ry thought; 
Though my own heart accuse me not 
Of walking in a false disguise, 
I beg the trial of Thine eyes. 

The healthiest Christian, and the one best 
fitted for hard service, is he who feeds most on 
Christ. Not only at the sacramental table, but 
every day, does he partake of this "Bread of 
Life. ' ' To him the loving Saviour is continually 
saying: "If ye abide in Me, and I in you, ye 
shall bear much fruit." 

One great help towards such sweet com- 
munion with God will be found in a steady per- 
severance in the early morning's meditation. 
That supreme peace and inward holiness can 



Truths Learned From Experience. 55 

also be obtained and kept by having much inter- 
course with God, speaking to Hira with sim- 
plicity, loving Him dearly, always consulting 
Him, rendering to Him an account of every 
action, thanking Him constantly, and, above all, 
drawing near to Him with joy in the Holy 
Eucharist. 

Do not have a number of varied prayers, but 
let the "Our Father' ' be ever on your lips and 
in your heart. 

The life of a Chistian is a warfare. The Word 
of God is said to be a sword, our prayers a 
wrestling, and our faith the victory. 

Dear Lord, whatever load Thou art pleased 
to lay upon me, enable me to wait, in faith and 
prayer, till the joyful hour of deliverance comes. 
To be really happy, we must have- 
More virtue than knowledge, 
More love than tenderness, 



56 Truths Learned From Experience. 

More guidance than cleverness, 

More health than riches, 

More repose than profit. 

Dig deep, and lay your foundation well. He 
that heareth the voice of Christ, and doeth His 
will, he is the wise man who buildeth his house 
upon the rock. 

Lord, draw me to the garden, the cross and 
the tomb of Jesus; and draw me from self, sin 
and the world to Thy ever-blessed self. 

If, before we say or do anything, we would 
always consider whether it was agreeable to the 
pattern of Christ, a multitude of sins would be 
avoided. 

Lord, however guilty and miserable I am, yet, 
when I can humble myself before Thee as the 
vilest of sinners, and look up unto Thee by faith, 
depending only on Thy free grace, I enjoy peace. 
Grant, therefore, my God, that this beholding 



Truths Learned From Experience. 57 

of Thee may be my constant exercise, and that 

thus I may be strengthened, cheerfully to follow 

Thy pattern, and be daily more changed into 

the glorious image of Thy love, patience and 

humility, and thus be ripening for eternal life. 

Spirit of the Lord, daily place Jesus before my 

mind's eye! 

Faith finds in Christ whate 'er we need 
To save and strengthen, guide and feed; 
Strong in His grace, its joys to share, 
His cross, in hope His crown to wear. 

True and lasting happiness is to be found at 
the feet of Jesus. 

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, 
so' panteth my soul after thee, God.— Psalm 
xlii., 1. 

If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and 
drink.— John, vii., 37. 

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the 
waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy 



58 Truths Learned From Experience. 

and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without 
money and without price.— Isaiah, lv., 1. 

The wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God 
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
All the blessings included in eternal life are in 
Jesus. Consequently, to possess Jesus is to pos- 
sess eternal life. Have I Christ formed in my 
heart? If so, I have eternal life abiding in me. 

Having Christ, I have pardon, righteousness, 
peace, holiness, tne promises, and heaven at the 
end of my course. 

"Who hath a greater combat than he that la- 
boreth to overcome himself? This ought to be 
our endeavor to conquer ourselves, and daily to 
wax stronger, and to grow in holiness. An 
humble knowledge of thyself is a surer way to 
God than a deep search after learning. Truly, 
at the day of judgment we shall not be exam- 
ined as to what we have read, but as to what we 



Truths Learned From Experience. 59 

have done; not as to how well we have spoken, 
but as to how religiously we have lived. 

To live beneath the eye of God gives peace and 
exquisite happiness. Remember always to do 
some actions that can be known to none but God. 
how sweet to have God as our only witness ! 

The love of Christ should be w 7 oven into the 
life of every child from its birth. 

The Christian life is the life which recognizes 
out and out the possession of redemption, and 
accepts in sober certainty, in whole-hearted sim- 
plicity of will, the fact that the Lord has bought 
us and we are His. I can no more do without 
Thee, my dear Saviour, than the branches can 
do without the vine ! May I never be left in the 
least thing to my own strength, but be directed, 
assisted and blessed by Thee in all my doings. 
My soul, never lose sight of this for one mo- 
ment: Thou canst do nothing without Jesus. 



60 Truths Learned From Experience. 

There must be "anion to Him, faith in Him, and 
communications from Him, or there will be no 
good works, no fruits of righteousness. Cleave, 
cleave, then, to Jesus, with full purpose of heart ; 
never leave him for one moment. 

Son of God, Thy blessing grant ; 
Still supply my every want ; 
Tree of life, thine influence shed, 
With Thy sap my spirit feed. 

My God, I arti as a little child. Hold me by 
Thy right hand, keep me at Thy side, and whis- 
per to me as I pass along: "I have loved thee 
with an everlasting love; therefore, with loving 
kindness have I drawn thee." My God, do give 
me so much of the Holy Spirit that, under all 
my trials, troubles and conflicts, I may say, "Not 
my will, but Thine be done." 

Whoever leaves this world believing in Christ 
has nothing to fear after death. Every true be- 



Truths Learned From Experience. 61 

liever, whether weak or strong, has eternal life, 
and shall not fall into condemnation. If, there- 
fore, I am a child of God, though a weak one, 
I am still an heir, and shall find life and de- 
liverance in death. 

It is what may precede death that I dread- 
long illness— but not death. I hope that, when I 
die, my twilight may be brief. 

. . nourishment for the soul. 

Pious thoughts, read, meditated upon, and 
sometimes written. Books that elevate and ex- 
cite love for all that is good and lovely. Con- 
versations that refresh, rejoice and cheer. Walks 
that expand the mind, as well as strengthen the 
body. Let the life thou livest in the flesh be by 
faith in the Son of God. Labor after a constant 
soul-reviving fellowship with the Father and 
the Son through the Holy Spirit. Let the written 



62 Truths Learned From Experience. 

Word of God be thine invariable rule, both in 
principle and practice. Be very earnest after 
meekness, humility, patience, self-denial and in- 
ward holiness. Daily pray for, and expect, the 
renewings of the Holy Spirit. 

The great Physician now is near, 

The sympathizing Jesus; 
He speaks, the drooping heart to cheer, 

hear the voice of Jesus. 



<L^^=^J> 



§^ 



VI. 

What must I do to be saved? Believe on the 
Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, and thy 
house.— Acts, xvi., 30, 31. 

True faith receives Christ as presented in the 
Gospel, works by love, and brings forth the 
fruits of righteousness. 

All true believers have received it under a 
sense of godly sorrow. If we feel something of 
this, and apply to Christ by prayer for faith 
and grace, we have a sure mark of faith already ; 
for, if we did not believe, we should not thus 
pray. He that daily applies to the blood of 
Christ for cleansing has true faith and hope al- 
ready, though he is but weak and does not taste 



64 Truths Learned From Experience. 

any joy. Salvation is promised to believing, and 
the faith to which salvation is promised is simple 
confidence in Christ. Jesus has done all that is 
necessary to save us. 

The most valuable things through life are 
dearly won. 

What so precious as a soul's redemption. Yet 
by one price only could it be secured, and that 
was by the "blood of the Lamb, without blemish 
or spot." 

There are many unwelcome truths in the 
Word of God for you to swallow. The Bible is 
sent to save you, not to please you. It has no 
mercy on a sinner's sins, but it has unbounded 
mercy for a sinner's soul. God demands the 
whole heart; but He offers in return a whole 
heaven. 

When you get to be a Christian you will find 
that the clearer and stronger you are, the hap- 



Truths Learned From Experience. 65 

pier will be your conscience ; but the better you 
are, the more dearly you will pay for it. Study 
in your Bible what it cost Paul to become all 
he was. 

Faith is the gift of God; but it is also- your 
act and mine. Love is kindled by contact with 
Christ; but we must come up close to Him. The 
measure of a Christian's power is the measure 
of that Christian's piety. Grace must be in th« 
soul before it can come out of the soul. 

Jesus, be Thou my teacher, for none teacheth 
like Thee ; give me faith, more faith, that I may 
be strong in faith, giving glory to Thee ! 

My soul, dost thou believe in Jesus? Hast 
thou committed thy soul into His hands to be 
saved by Him? If so, trust and be not afraid; 
He will save thee. 

Unto you, therefore, which believe, He is 
precious.— I Peter, ii., 7. 



66 Truths Learned From Experience. 

If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he 
is none of His.— Rom., viii., 9. 

How can I know when I have the Spirit of 
Christ? I have earnestly prayed for Him, and 
I believe what St. Mark says in the xL, 24: 
"YThat thing's soever ye desire when ye pray, 
believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have 
them.'' Dost thou feel the need of Him, approve 
of Him. flee to Him, trust in Him. and daily 
pray and strive to be like Him. If so, the Spirit 
of Christ is in thee. 

To be always doing good, and to esteem little 
of one's self, is a sign that yon have the Spirit 
of Christ. To walk in the heart with God, and 
not to be held in bondage by any outward affec- 
tion, is the state of a spiritual man. Have a 
good conscience, and thou shalt ever have joy. 
A good conscience is able to bear very much, 
and is very cheerful in adversities. 



Truths Learned From Experience. 67 

Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever 
will, let him take of the water of life freely.— 
Rev., xxii., 17. 

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst 
after righteousness; for they shall be filled. — 
St. Matthew, v., 6. 

The weary, the hungry, the thirsty, the guilty, 
the worthless, the vilest, are invited to believe 
on Jesus, who came only to save sinners, and 
has assured them, in His Word, that they w r h<? 
thus come to Him shall in no wise be cast out. 
Jesus never yet cast out one, nor will He cast 
out thee. Go to Him, and try. 

"I heard the voice of Jesus say: 

Behold, I freely give 
The living water. Thirsty one, 

Stoop down and drink, and live ! 
I came to Jesus, and I drank 

Of that life-giving stream ; 
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, 

And now I live in him." 



Truths Learned From Experience. 

I think that our ministers make too little use 
cf the Gospel in metre as a mean? of awakening 
and conversion. A hymn often goes many fath- 
oms deeper than a sermon. 

Of all the hymns of the cross, the "Rock of 
Ages" may well be styled the masterpiece. It 
has been translated into almost every tongue. 
Dr. Pomeroy went into a church in Constan- 
tinople, where a company of Armenians were 
singing a hymn which so moved them that the 
tears were trickling down their cheeks. He in- 
quired what they were singing, and lo ! they 
were the dear old lines of the "Rock of Ages." 
"VThen Prince Albert of England was dying, his 
lips feebly murmured these sweet words of 
Augustus Toplady ? s hymn. 

Of all the hymns of the heart. ''Jesus. Lover 
of My Soul," is certainly the masterpiece. 
Charles TVeslev. the author of this beautiful 



Truths Learned From Experience. 69 

hymn, was a born poet. He ate, drank, slept and 
dreamed nothing but hymns. He has written at 
least four thousand. One day, while on his 
itinerary, his pony stumbled and threw him off. 
The only record he makes of the accident in his 
diary is this: "My companions thought I had 
broken my neck; but my leg only w T as bruised, 
my hand sprained, and my head stunned, which 
spoiled my making hymns until next day!" 
Truly, a man must have been possessed with a 
master-passion who could have written a sen- 
tence like that. 

Of all the songs of the soul, "Nearer, My God, 
to Thee," is certainly the most beautiful, and 
has made its authoress immortal. She was Sarah 
F. Adams, and was born at Cambridge, Eng- 
land, in February, 1805, and died at the age 
of forty-four. 

The Rev. Henry F. Lyte, of Kelso, Scot- 



70 Truths Learned From Experience. 

land, is the author of " Jesus, I My Cross Have 
Taken," and " Abide With Me! Fast Falls the 
Eventide/ ' 

Dr. Ray Palmer, of Rhode Island, is the 
author of the grandest of American hymns. In 
its structure it closely resembles the "Rock of 
iges. ' ' It begins in penitence ; it ends in praise. 
This is the well-known hymn: 

"My faith looks up to Thee, 
Thou Lamb of Calvary, 

Saviour divine! 
Now hear me while I pray, 
Take all my guilt away; 
let me from this day 

Be wholly Thine!" 

The best part of a Christian's character is 
fhat which costs the heaviest price. Patience, for 
example, is a beautiful trait; but it is not 
oftenest worn by those who walk life's sunny 
mde. It is the product of dark nights of ad- 



Truths Learned From Experience. 71 

versity and of many a cross-bearing. The " trial 
of your faith worketh patience." Without a 
combat, thou canst not attain unto the crown 
c-f patience. 

Only a little while 

Of walking with weary feet 
Patiently over the thorny way 

That leads to the golden street. 

Suffer if God shall will, 
And work for Him while we may ; 

From Calvary's cross to Zion's crown 
Is only a little way. 

Only a little while 

For toiling, a few short days, 
And then comes the rest, the quiet rest, 

Eternity's endless praise. 

No man can serve two masters. — Matt., vi., 24. 

Have you decided to follow Jesus, to walk in 
His footprints, and never to lose His shadow? 
If so, count the cost. I warn you that, if it costs 
much to be a Christian, it will cost infinitely 
more to live and die a sinner! Religion costs 



72 Truths Learned From Experience. 

self-denial; sin costs self-destruction! Put into 
one scale life; into another scale, death; into 
another scale, heaven, and into the fourth scale, 
hell. Weigh them well ! Weigh for eternity ! And, 
while you sit weighing anxiously, Christ whis- 
pers into your ear the thrilling question : "What 
shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole 
world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a 
man give in exchange for his soul ? ' ' 

Thou shalt find Him if thou seek Him with 
all thy heart and with all thy soul.— Deut, iv., 
39. 

Jesus, in search of lips to tell the love Thou 
bearest for Thy children; lips to tell the poor 
and lonely they are not despised, the sinful they 
are not cast away, the timid they are not unpro- 
tected! Jesus, grant that my lips may speak 
words of strength, love, comfort and pardon. 
Let each day seem to me wasted that passes 



Truths Learned From Experience. 73 

without my having spoken of help and sym- 
pathy, without having made some one bless Thy 
name, be it but a little child. Let me never for- 
get that, like Thee, I am placed on this earth to 
minister, not to be ministered unto. 

Jesus, grant that I may feel and understand 
all the pain that timidity, shyness or reserve 
keeps buried within the recesses of the soul. 
Grant me the tact and discretion that draws 
near without paining, that asks without re- 
pulsing, without humiliating, and thus enable 
me to bring peace and comfort to the wounded 
heart. 

My soul, let God's word alone be thy guide 
and directory, and beware of, lo! here, and lo! 
there. 

"If pains afflict, or wrongs oppress, 
If cares distract, or fears dismay, 

If guilt deject, if sin distress, 

The remedy's before thee— pray." 



74 Truths Learned From Experience. 

Never forget that you have an advocate in 
heaven ; Jesus Christ ever liveth to intercede for 
us. He has said, ""Whatever ye shall ask the 
Father in my name, He will give it you. ' ' 

Nothing will give sinew and bone to your re- 
ligion like the thorough reading and thorough 
digestion of the Bible. The Bible must be read 
thoughtfully and meditatively, and a man with 
a conscience will find the word of God in it. 

My God, do open my understanding, that I 
may understand the Scriptures.— St. Luke, xxiv. r 
45. 

My dear reader, the whole design of this little 
book is to lead thee to "search the Scriptures," 
which are able to make thee wise unto salva- 
tion through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is re- 
quired at thy hands, and a sincere life; not 
height of understanding, nor deep inquiry into 
the mysteries of God. Many have lost devotion 



Truths Learned From Experience. 75 

whilst they sought to search into things too high. 
Submit thyself unto God, and humble thy sense 
to faith, and the light of knowledge shall be 
given thee in such degree as shall be profitable 
and necessary for thee. God's Word, rightly 
used, always leads to Jesus. 

I will close with those glorious lines of good 
old Bishop Ken, which have been sung oftener 
than any other four lines in the English lan- 
guage : 

1 i Praise God from whom all blessings flow ; 
Praise Him, all creatures here below ; 
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host ; 
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.' ' 



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